


In Which Poe Dameron is a Good Guy (and a totally clueless idiot)

by RandomSlasher (Randomslasher)



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drunk!Poe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, Leia is Done with these Idiots, M/M, Misunderstandings, Poe Dameron is a hot mess, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:06:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6054427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randomslasher/pseuds/RandomSlasher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That. That had <i>not</i> just happened. If there truly was a light and benevolent side of the Force, then the man Poe had fallen madly in love with surely, <i>surely</i>, had <i>not</i> just asked him for dating advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Which Poe Dameron is a Good Guy (and a totally clueless idiot)

A fill for this kinkmeme prompt:  
_Finn asks Poe for dating advice and Poe is BROKEN HEARTED, but he sucks it up and helps Finn out like a bro. He also goes out of his way to help Finn get alone time with Rey so this dating advice can be put to practice, but Finn is actually using the advice to try and seduce Poe._

* * *

Poe Dameron was a lot of things: an ace pilot, a complete smartass, a fabulous dresser (he believed this to be an indisputable aesthetic fact), and at heart, a totally hopeless romantic. 

But he had his flaws, too. He had a bad tendency to let his smart mouth get him into trouble; he was not really a morning person and was useless before his first cup of caf; and he knew he could be insufferably cocky after a particularly badass stunt in his X-wing (though who wouldn’t be, really?). Worst of all, though: at heart, Poe Dameron was totally hopeless romantic. 

Sometimes, he really, _really_ hated himself for that. 

Like now, for instance. Right now in this moment, Poe absolutely _loathed_ that streak of naive romantic idealism he’d never quite been able to rid himself of, because right now in this moment, the love of his life had just asked for his help in wooing someone else. 

And damn it all, Poe knew immediately that he was going to help him do it. 

Finn was looking at him seriously, his impossible brown eyes wide and sincere, and Poe challenged _anyone_ in this galaxy to resist those eyes. It would certainly take a stronger man than he. 

“It’s just that…” Finn was starting to squirm a little, obviously embarrassed. “We weren’t really supposed to…’engage in physical or emotional relationships,’ in the First Order.” He was clearly reciting words he’d heard a lot; his voice even took on an officious accent as he said them. It would be adorable if it didn’t make Poe hate the First Order all the more. “It’s not...something I have a lot of experience with. You know? And I guess I could just use a few...well, pointers.” 

Poe realized he hadn’t actually answered Finn yet, and he nodded hurriedly. “Yeah, no, I got ya,” he said, hoping his voice sounded steady and casual. He forced a smile onto his face. “Don’t worry about a thing, buddy. Of course I’ll help.” 

Finn’s face broke into a gorgeous smile, and he nodded, reaching out to clasp Poe’s shoulder. “Thank you, Poe,” he said, obviously relieved. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Poe said, and yeah, okay, that time his voice _was_ a little weaker, but damn, Finn’s smile could light up the whole galaxy. 

“Great!” Finn was looking decidedly cheered. “So, uh--when…?” 

“Oh. Right.” Poe glanced down at his hands, which were covered in oil and grime from working on his X-Wing. In fact, he was kind of a general mess: he’d been there in the hangar most of the morning, and he was sweaty and gritty from head to foot. “Just let me finish up out here and get cleaned up first, huh? Shouldn’t take me more than an hour.” 

“Oh--right, okay.” Finn grinned at him again, giving him a thumbs up. “Great! I’ll meet you in an hour, then. Maybe we can grab lunch together?” 

Poe nodded. “Yeah. Lunch...lunch sounds great. See you then.” He gave Finn another (hopefully convincing) smile, then turned his back resolutely, focusing all his attention on the X-Wing’s left engine and hoping Finn would take that as his cue to leave. 

He waited a solid three minutes before checking again, but it was safe: Finn was gone, and the hangar was empty once more. Poe let himself slump, sliding down to the ground in an ungraceful heap and burying his face in his hands with a groan. 

That. That had _not_ just happened. If there truly was a light and benevolent side of the Force, then the man Poe had fallen madly in love with surely, _surely_ , had _not_ just asked him for dating advice. Please, Gods, tell him that had _not_. _Just._ _Happened._

“You know you just got oil all over your face,” a familiar voice suddenly spoke up.

He was too upset to be startled. “Don’t care.” 

Jess sighed, and he heard her sit down beside him. “What is it this time, then?” her voice was a little too knowing. “Did you see him with his shirt off again? Did he smile at a small child? Help a little old lady cross the street? In what way is Finn’s utter perfection personally victimizing you today?” 

Poe lifted his head and looked at her, and the smile slipped off her face as her eyebrows climbed up toward her hair. “Poe? Seriously--what is it? You look awful.” 

“Thanks,” Poe muttered, before dropping his hands to his lap and letting his shoulders slump further in utter dejection. 

“No, come on--I’m sorry, I won’t...just tell me what happened.” Jess’s voice was firm but gentle, as was the hand she’d laid on his back and Poe was desperately afraid his lower lip might be trembling. Oh, no--he was _not_ going to be that pathetic. He was the best pilot in the resistance. He was _not_ going to cry over this. 

Definitely not. 

“Finn, um. Just asked me for dating advice.” Yeah, okay, his eyes were stinging just a little. Probably got oil in them. 

“Dating advice?” Jess sounded mystified. 

“Yeah.” Poe glanced at her, waiting while she thought it over, then came to the same (horrible, terrible, perfectly obvious) conclusion he had. “Oh. Oh, dammit.” 

“Yeah.” Poe’s lips twisted up wryly. 

“Oh, dammit, Poe,” Jess sounded genuinely distressed for him, at least. “No!”

“Yeah.” Poe shrugged. “Well, I guess I always knew it was a longshot that he’d feel the same.” 

“But he’s always so…” Jess flailed her arms expressively. With the ease of long practice, Poe ducked. “Poe, he _lights up_ when you walk into a room, and he’s constantly going on and on about how amazing you are, and asking us for stories about you, and--” 

“Believe it or not,” Poe interrupted, “this isn’t helping that much.” 

“Sorry,” Jess looked chagrinned. “I’m sorry. I just can’t _believe_...”

“Well, believe it,” Poe said, climbing to his feet. “Look, it’s...it’s not that big of a deal, okay?” 

“Not a big deal?” Jess bounced up after him. “Poe, you’re _crazy_ about the guy. I’ve never seen you like this about _anyone_ , and I’ve known you for ages. How is this not a big deal?” 

“It’s not a big deal because it’s not what he wants,” Poe said firmly. “He’s my friend, Jess, and he’s been handed a lot of shit in his life, and if he’s finally got the chance to be happy, I’m not going to let my own selfish desires stand in his way.” 

“So you’re going to help him date someone else?” Jess looked distressed. “Poe, can’t you just...tell him to ask somebody else for help?” 

“No,” Poe said, though in reality, he’d like nothing more than to do just that. “I’m his friend. I was his first friend, really, which is probably why he’s idealized me, but the fact is I’m probably the person he trusts the most with something like this, and I’m not gonna bail on him now.” 

Jess stared at him. “Oh, no,” she said. “You’re doing your self-sacrificing bit.” 

“My what?” 

“Like in the missions. ‘Cover me, guys, I’m going in.’” Her voice dropped in impersonation of his. “It’s this thing you do when you’ve decided to put yourself in danger so no one else has to.” 

“I sincerely doubt my giving Finn dating advice is going to endanger anyone, Jess.” 

“It could,” Jess said, eyeing him askance. “When was the last time you went on a real date?” 

“When was the last time you shut the hell up?” 

“Probably around the same time,” Jess said, nodding in agreement. 

He held out his oil-covered hands, waving them threateningly in her direction. “I am very, very dirty,” he warned her. “And I am not above using this against you.” 

She waved him off, unperturbed. “Go shower, then,” she said. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you, when this leaves your heart in the gutter.” 

He sighed, climbing to his feet and wiping his hands on a rag to rid them of the worst of the grime. But as he headed toward the base, Jess called out after him: “Oh, and Dameron?” 

He stopped and turned to look at her, and she gave him a half-smile. “Come find me afterwards, and we’ll get you good and drunk, okay?” 

He smiled. “You’re a good friend, Pava.” 

“I know.” 

* * *

Finn was waiting for him in the commissary. Poe had taken a longer shower than was strictly necessary, but he doubted he could be blamed for stalling, given the circumstances. Still, he could only delay so long, and fifty four minutes after Finn had cornered him in the hangar, Poe was walking into the mess hall, freshly showered and wearing the deep blue shirt that Iolo always said brought out his eyes. 

(Okay, so Finn wasn’t interested in him; that didn’t mean Poe couldn’t look nice, did it?) 

Poe found Finn sitting in an isolated corner, back straight and hands folded neatly on the tabletop. A tray of food sat untouched in front of him, and he looked lost in thought, but the moment he caught sight of Poe, he grinned again, waving him over. 

(That grin. There were probably laws against it in several star systems. And if not, there should be.) 

“Poe! Over here,” Finn called, standing up so Poe would see him. He didn’t seem to realize how impossible he was to miss; how everyone’s eyes were drawn to him the second he walked into a room, or how he’d broken at least a dozen hearts since leaving the First Order and joining the Resistance. But then, that was probably part of why he was so appealing: after everything he’d been through, Finn should be cynical and jaded. Instead, he delighted in every new thing he learned about living free of the First Order--things that should have been taken for granted, like getting second helpings at mealtimes or sleeping past 4:30 in the morning. 

Or dating. 

Poe’s good mood faded a little as he remembered the reason for this liaison. He tried not to let it show, though, keeping a smile on his face and greeting Finn with (he hoped) as much enthusiasm as ever.

“Hey, buddy,” he said. 

Finn beamed and grabbed Poe into their customary hug. “Poe!” he said. 

Poe closed his eyes, indulging in the hug for just a second longer than he usually would. Finn always greeted him as though they hadn’t seen one another in ages, even if it had only been an hour. It was just another one of the things that Poe had fallen in love with about him. 

He also, damn him, seemed perfectly willing to indulge the hug for as long as Poe wanted. Poe forced himself to pull away before he embarrassed himself. 

“I got some food,” Finn said, pointing at the tray on the table (which, indeed, contained double portions of everything on offer in the commissary that day). 

“Great,” Poe said, even though the thought of food literally made his stomach lurch. He sat down at the table across from Finn and obediently picked up a slice of toast. 

Finn sat across from him, watching, so Poe took a nibble. 

“So,” Finn said after a moment. 

“So?” Poe glanced at the toast. “Um--it’s good?” 

“No, I mean...you were going to...you know…” 

“Oh!” Right. Of course. “Right. Sorry--uh. Yeah. Dating advice.” 

“Right,” Finn agreed, squirming a little in his seat, hands once again folded politely on the tabletop. “I, um--I really appreciate this, by the way.” 

Poe felt himself melting a little. Dammit. Finn was so _sweet_. “Of course, buddy,” he said, smiling, and it wasn’t quite so forced this time. Okay, so yeah, this sucked bantha droppings, but dammit, Finn deserved so much more from him than his petty jealousy. He was a better person than that. Or at least, he wanted to be. 

“So what kind of advice are you looking for?” he said, leaning forward and dunking his toast in one of the bowls of stew on Finn’s tray. 

Finn shrugged, watching him eat. “I guess...everything?” he said. “Like...how do I let someone know I’m interested in them...romantically?” 

“Well,” Poe mumbled, then swallowed his mouthful before continuing: “there’s nothing wrong with just saying that to them. You definitely want to be honest if you’re wanting a long-lasting relationship. Though,” he added, feeling a twinge of sudden hope. “There’s nothing wrong with just wanting a fling, either. You’ve never exactly had a chance to sow any wild oats, after all.” 

Finn looked mystified, and Poe realized metaphors were not going to help him here. 

“What I mean,” he clarified, “is it’s okay if you just want to have a...sexual encounter with someone, without committing to a long-term romantic relationship. As long as you are clear with your intentions and they’re okay with them, there’s nothing wrong with just having a bit of fun.” 

“Oh!” Finn nodded, waving a hand. “No, that’s not going to be a problem. I’m definitely interested in a long-term commitment.” He smiled, eyes going distant, and Poe’s brief flare of hope sputtered and died. 

“I see,” he said softly. And, finally, he did. After all, there was only one person who’d ever made Finn look like that. It should have been obvious from the start.

Rey. Finn was in love with Rey. 

Well. It was no surprise, was it? Finn and Rey had been in one another’s pockets ever since she’d come back from finding Luke Skywalker. Any time she wasn’t training with the Jedi master, she was with Finn, hanging out in the medbay while Finn worked or eating together or out together around the base. The pair even spent a fair amount of time in the hangar with him; he’d been teaching Rey about maintaining the engines on the newer X-wing models, and Finn spent hours at a time sprawled out with a datapad, reading up on medical protocols and treatment techniques as part of his rotation with the medical team.

Poe admitted he’d always thought their feelings for one another had been more on the fraternal side, but that was probably just wishful thinking on his part. If he’d stopped to pay attention for even a moment, he’d’ve probably seen what had always been there. He’d been ignoring it in favor of clinging to a fruitless dream, but it was time to let it go. Rey and Finn were both good people, and they’d both been through so much; they definitely deserved happiness. 

He smiled, even as he felt his heart breaking in earnest. This wasn’t just about petty jealousy; this was about watching the man he loved walk away forever. He would do it, but Jess was right: this was not going to be easy. 

Still. He owed it to Finn, and so much more. And what was it his mom used to say--if you love something, let it go? 

“Okay,” he said, resolving to devote his time and energy to making sure Finn was as happy as he could possibly be. “Let’s start with the basics.” 

* * *

Two and a half hours later, Poe trudged wearily back to his quarters, heartsore and exhausted. 

Finn, as it had turned out, was an eager student. Poe tried to be as thorough as possible as Finn grilled him with a number of insightful questions. He seemed particularly interested in knowing how to tell if someone was amenable to your advances. 

“It varies,” Poe had said with a shrug. “But they’ll usually be more physical than they are with other people. They might touch your hand or your shoulder, or hug you when they see you.” 

“I hug you all the time,” Finn pointed out. 

“Right,” Poe agreed, hiding a wince. “It doesn’t _always_ mean someone’s romantically interested, it’s just one possible sign. Some people are just...friendly.” 

Finn frowned. “Okay,” he said slowly. “So what else?” 

“Well...if they want to spend time with you,” Poe said. 

“Like when I come to the hangar while you’re working on your X-Wing?” 

“Sure,” Poe said. “Or how you visit Rey when she’s not training with Luke.” 

“Huh.” Finn had stared at him then, and Poe squirmed, his cheeks beginning to flush. This had been a bad idea; Finn was going to figure him out. It was bad enough that the ex-Stormtrooper wasn’t interested; the last thing Poe wanted to do was make him uncomfortable or drive him away. He couldn’t bear to lose Finn’s friendship on top of everything else. 

“All right,” Finn said. “So how, _exactly,_ would you tell someone you liked them?” 

Poe shrugged again. “I don’t know, buddy,” he said. “To be honest, I’m pretty straightforward. I’d probably just say, ‘Hey, I really like you.’” 

Finn stared at him intently. “Hey, I _really_ like you,” he’d repeated. 

Poe nodded. “Yeah,” he’d said. “Like that. It doesn’t have to be complicated, you know? Sometimes simple is better.” 

Finn sighed, and sat back in his chair. “Okay,” he said. “So...what would you do for a first date, then?” 

Now, as he trudged back into his quarters, Poe reflected that it hadn’t gone quite as bad as it could have. Finn hadn’t spent the entire time making proclamations or waxing poetic about all of Rey’s wonderful qualities. Not that Poe didn’t think Rey was wonderful, of course, but hearing Finn go on about her would’ve been a bit difficult. 

But Finn hadn’t even mentioned her. And in fact, the few times Poe had tried, Finn had looked at him oddly and carried on with their conversation. 

Poe wasn’t quite sure to make of it. Finally, he’d decided Finn was just uncomfortable talking directly about his feelings, which was why he’d been a bit vague, when asking for pointers about the first date he wanted to arrange. Poe had suggested he keep things simple: invite her to dinner, maybe cook something for her if he so desired. He’d been unable to bring himself to talk about anything physical, but thankfully, Finn hadn’t asked. 

Finally, the ex-Stormtrooper had risen to his feet, nodding at Poe. 

“I think I have enough to go on,” he said, sounding a bit weary himself, but smiling at Poe gratefully nonetheless. “Thank you, Poe.” 

“You’re welcome, buddy,” Poe said, standing as well. “Anytime.” He nodded at their empty tray. “I’ll take care of that, if you want. You’ve got a lot of work to do, right?” He tried to make it light-hearted and teasing, but he wasn’t quite sure he’d managed. 

Finn didn’t comment on it, though, simply nodding and gazing at Poe thoughtfully. “Apparently so,” he’d said enigmatically, before smiling at Poe and giving him a nod. “See you later.” 

Poe had tried very hard not to be hurt by the absence of their usual goodbye hug. 

Now, as he stumbled into his quarters and fumbled for the lightswitch, he wondered just how quickly Finn would put his plan into action. He tended to be a meticulous person, so there was a chance he’d wait awhile, maybe ask around for other opinions before he acted. It had seemed like some of Poe’s advice hadn’t sat well with Finn; more than once, the other man had given him looks that bordered on frustrated, or at the very least exasperated, though Poe couldn’t begin to fathom why. 

Still, he’d done his best, and besides, he doubted Finn was going to need to try very hard anyway. Rey obviously cared about him just as much as he did about her. Hell, if it were Poe, he knew all Finn would have to do was crook his little finger and he’d be there in a flash. 

_If only._

No; it was more likely that Finn would act sooner rather than later. He’d seemed certain of his desire for a lasting relationship; now that he had the resources at his disposal to get started, why would he put it off? 

Poe shoved those thoughts aside, stepping into his bathroom and splashing cold water over his face, then walked back into his main chambers. There, he stopped abruptly, surprised to see a bottle on his desk that definitely wasn’t there before. He moved forward and picked it up, flipping it over--then smirked. It was a bottle of Turvellian scotch--incredibly strong stuff-- and there was a note taped to the side, in Jess’s familiar handwriting. 

_Figured you might need this. Just pinch your nose and swallow quickly and it doesn’t burn that bad. --Jess._

He snorted, but uncapped it and took a brief swig. It _did_ burn like hell, but he welcomed the feeling, more than happy for the excuse for the stinging in his eyes and the tightness in his throat. 

He took one more swallow before replacing the bottle on his desk and climbing into bed. He didn’t bother to crawl under the blankets; instead, he curled himself around a pillow, burying his face in its softness, and indulged in a few secret tears. And, even though it was only mid-afternoon, he let himself drift into a well-earned pity nap. 

* * *

Finn didn’t make his move that night, as Poe had been half-expecting him to. Nor did he do anything the next night, or the night after. 

Poe was bewildered. Finn had been so careful, and so _thorough._ Surely he was certain of his own feelings, and there was no way he could still be doubting Rey’s, after the laundry list of signs Poe had given him. He himself had seen Rey engage in most of them; surely Finn had noticed, too? 

After a week had passed, however, Poe began to suspect what the problem might be: Rey was busier than ever, gone for hours upon hours with Luke Skywalker, training to use the Force. Even their X-wing maintenance sessions had dramatically decreased. Poe found that in spite of everything, he missed her a great deal; her passion for mechanics rivaled even his own, and it had been gratifying to watch how quickly she was learning. He suspected she’d know far more than he did very soon. 

Still, her busy schedule had to be even harder on Finn, who was doubtlessly looking for the ideal time to arrange their first date. So, a week after their painful how-to session in the commissary, Poe decided he’d try to help his friends out. 

General Organa waved him in, when he knocked on the door to her office, lifting her head from the data screen she’d been frowning at. “Poe,” she said warmly. “Come in, please.” 

“General,” Poe said. “I hope I’m not interrupting?” 

“You are,” she said. “But thank you. If I don’t take a break from inventory reports I’m going to go crazy. Please.” She indicated the chair across from her desk, and Poe sat obediently. 

“So. What can I do for you?” 

“Who says I’m not just stopping by to say hi?” Poe pouted.

“Because you never stop by just to say hi,” General Organa said. “You only come by when you need something.” 

Poe stared at her, doing his best to look offended. “I’m offended,” he said, in case she wasn’t getting it.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you telling me you _don’t_ need anything?” 

“No, I need something. But it’s not for me,” he added quickly, when her smile turned smug. “It’s actually about Finn. And Rey.” 

She arched her eyebrows, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her desk. “What about them?” she said. “Is everything okay?” 

“Everything’s fine,” he assured her quickly. “It’s just that…well, General, Finn came to me about a week ago, asking for...advice.” 

“What kind of advice?” 

“Dating advice,” Poe said, trying not to cringe. He was getting better at it. 

“I see,” the General said slowly. “Go on?” 

“The thing is, I think he’d like to ask Rey out,” Poe explained. “But Master Skywalker has had her so busy that he hasn’t been able to.” 

General Organa frowned. “He told you this?” 

“Well, no,” Poe admitted. “But she _has_ been busier than usual lately. She hasn’t stopped by the hangar in almost a week. And I know Finn hasn’t asked her on a date yet.” 

“No, I mean, he told you he wanted to ask her on a date?” 

Poe blinked. “Well, yeah. I think so? I mean...he didn’t come right out and _say_ it, but--well, I mean, who else would Finn want to date?” 

“You’re joking, right?” 

“I’m...uh--no?” 

The general seemed to be under the impression that Poe had sprouted a second head. “I see,” she said at last. “And you think if I tell Luke to lay off for a little while, Finn will get on with it?” 

Poe shrugged. “Removing another obstacle couldn’t hurt, right?” 

“You do realize,” General Organa said, “that I don’t usually go out of my way to encourage fraternization among the ranks of my soldiers?” 

“What?” Poe snorted. “You totally do.” 

The General chuckled. “Okay, fine,” she said, waving him off. “I’ll tell Luke to give Rey a few days off. Hell, I’ll drag him off-planet myself if I have to. It’d be nice to get to actually talk to my brother.” She looked sour for a moment, and suddenly, Poe didn’t envy Luke at all. “But if I do this, Poe, you have to do me a favor.” 

Poe straightened. “Anything.” 

She pinned him with her gaze, and Poe wondered if he should’ve been so quick to agree without hearing the terms. But instead of speaking, she simply smiled. 

“Dismissed,” she told him. 

Poe rose to his feet automatically, then stopped, frowning at her. “But--what’s the favor?” 

She looked up at him and arched her eyebrows. “I didn’t say I was going to cash in right _now_ , did I?” 

“Oh no,” Poe moaned. “This is going to be one of those perfectly-timed moments where I’m going to get my ass handed to me once you finally tell what the favor is, isn’t it?” 

The General simply smiled, picking up her datapad. “Dismissed, Commander,” she said again. 

There wasn’t a lot he could do to argue with that. Poe heaved a dramatic sigh, but as he turned to leave her office, he said, “Oh, um--General?” 

“Hmm?”

He smiled a little sadly. “Thanks,” he said. 

* * *

Most of the time, when things worked out according to plan, Poe was pleased with himself. 

This was not most of the time. 

The General had come through: the very next day, Rey had bounded into the hangar, looking pleased, and announced that Master Skywalker was going to be devoting a few days to reconnecting with his family, since family was important and it wasn’t like he had a whole lot of it left, so he’d damn well better appreciate what was there. 

Rey had sounded bemused as she’d recited what the Master Skywalker had apparently told her, and Poe had barely held in his laughter, only wishing he could’ve been there for the lecture the General had obviously given her twin. Jedi or no Jedi, sibling or not, you didn’t want to cross paths with General Leia Organa. 

Rey had asked about spending the day with Poe, who’d been trying to repair the stabilizer in Snap’s ship (since Snap was on leave for a couple days recovering from a broken arm--a direct result of the faulty stabilizer). But Poe had sent her away. 

“A vacation doesn’t mean you go find other work to do, Rey,” he explained to her patiently, and with no small amount of amusement. “A vacation means you go do something fun.” 

“But this _is_ fun,” Rey insisted, tilting her head and squinting at the exposed engine. “I think the stabilizer mount is torqued. Is the ship pulling to the right?” 

Poe grinned at her. “It is,” he agreed. “Good catch. Now get out of here.” 

“What am I supposed to do?” Rey complained. “Master Luke says I’m not even supposed to practice without him there.” She made a face. “I’d do it anyway, but I’m pretty sure he’d know.” 

“Yeah, you can’t hide from a Jedi,” Poe agreed. Then, ignoring the twist in his gut, he said, “Why don’t you go find Finn? I imagine you two could find some way to pass the time.” 

She nodded thoughtfully, then said, “I guess so. Okay.” She glanced at the engine again, and said, “I think a new frame would probably take care of that.” 

“Okay, stop working. Out. Shoo!” Poe waved her off, and she’d jogged away, laughing as she went. Poe grinned after her. She’d been doing that a lot more lately, and it was good to hear. Shaking his head, he turned back to his work. 

That evening, after finishing up on Snap’s X-wing and taking it up for a test flight (Rey had been right--a new frame and mount for the stabilizer and the ship responded like a dream), Poe was heading to the commissary to grab a bite to eat, when he caught sight of Rey and Finn, sitting together at a private table toward the back wall. 

Poe had been expecting to see them together--hell, he’d _arranged_ it--but the sight still caught him off guard. He stopped in his tracks, drawing a startled breath; it felt like he’d just been sucker punched, and the air had been pushed right from his lungs. 

The pair was sitting side-by-side, heads bent close toward one another; Rey’s eyes were closed, and Finn was feeding her some kind of small pastry. As Poe watched, Rey nodded, eyes opening as she gave Finn a wide, beaming smile. Finn looked equally pleased, a broad grin spreading across his face, and Poe drew another sharp breath, closing his eyes briefly against the sight. 

This. This was a good thing. It really _was._ This is what he’d been trying to accomplish. 

So why hadn’t he been ready for it? Why wasn’t he prepared for what it would do to him, to see them together like this? Had he really been expecting something else? Had he, after everything, still been nurturing the faint hope that he’d somehow gotten it wrong--that in spite of all the evidence, Finn _wasn’t_ in love with Rey after all, and that he and Poe would go prancing off into the sunset to live happily ever after? 

Gods, he was pathetic. He forced his eyes open, just in time to see Finn leaning forward to murmur something into Rey’s ear, close and intimate, and whatever hope he’d been stupidly harboring finally died a painful little death. 

_I want this,_ he reminded himself desperately. _I want him to be happy._

And it was true. He _did_ want Finn to be happy. If it wasn’t with him, well, so what? His own happiness wasn’t the point. And if he couldn’t be happy for Finn, what kind of friend did that make him?

He was happy for him. He _was_. He just...needed some distance, that was all. Now that things were sorted out, he would remove himself from the situation for a little while, so he could adjust to the idea. Maybe he could volunteer for a nice long reconnaissance mission or something. 

He turned and walked out of the mess. His appetite was gone. 

* * *

There had been reports of First Order activity in the Felucian System. 

Well, okay--’reports’ might be stretching it a little. There’d been _a_ report. One of them. And it might’ve been a little vague: a trader passing through the Outer Rim had thought he’d intercepted a First Order transmission. He wasn’t positive, though. It was possible it might have been space dust interfering with his radio. 

But it was all Poe had to go on. The First Order had been incredibly quiet since the destruction of Starkiller base. So quiet, in fact, that Poe hadn’t had a decent excuse to get off planet in ages. Not that he’d been actively _looking_ for one before the events of yesterday evening, but still. 

He stood at attention as General Organa surveyed the report, then looked up at him with incredulity on her face. 

“This is it?” she said. “Really?” 

“It’s more than we’ve heard for a long time,” Poe pointed out, though he couldn’t help but squirm sheepishly. “I mean...I know it’s a little thin, but…”

“This is not thin, Poe. This is emaciated. This is starving to death. This is you looking for an excuse to get off-planet.” She frowned at him. “You realize you could just put in a leave request. You know I would grant it to you.” 

Poe cringed. “It’s not that,” he hedged. “I’m just...ready to be useful to the Resistance again.” 

“Then stop trying to waste its resources on pointless cross-galaxy goose hunts,” the General said. 

“General, please,” Poe said softly. “Please, give me something. _Anything._ Recon, supply runs, anything at all. I just...I need some distance.” 

General Organa studied him for a moment, then shook her head slowly. “Request denied, Commander,” she said. “I’m sorry. But if you feel the need to go lick your wounds, you’re going to have to admit you have them.” 

Poe sighed, slumping, but didn’t argue. There was no point in arguing with the general, and besides, she was right. 

“Request permission to requisition a transport for a personal leave of absence,” he said after a moment of silence. 

The General looked up at him and nodded. “Granted,” she said. “I’ll have on ready for you by tomorrow evening. Report back in three standard weeks. Will that be sufficient time?” 

Poe nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 

“Good. Go on, Poe. Take care of yourself, okay?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Poe gave her a weak smile, then left her office, heading back to his quarters to pack. He should probably tell his squadron where he was going, but he could pack first. He’d run into someone in the hangar when he picked up his transport tomorrow--there was _always_ at least someone in the hangar--and they could pass on the news, if it was necessary. 

And as for Finn and Rey...well, he found himself doubting they’d miss him very much. Which was fine. There was no reason they should. But...he would rather not be around to see how very much he _wasn’t_ being missed. 

Okay. He would go back to his room and he would pack. And then he would find Jess and take her up on that offer to get very, very drunk.

* * *

He was filling a bag with clothing chosen entirely at random and debating how many bottles of alcohol to bring with him (and how many to drink right now) when the knock came on his door. He frowned, turning to stare at it for a second, before he recalled the social protocol for a knock on the door (okay, maybe he’d been sampling the alcohol while he debated, but how else was he supposed to decide?). 

He wobbled over to the door and swung it open, then squinted at the figure staring back at him, hand raised to knock again. 

“Finn?” he said. Okay, slurred.

Finn lowered his fist, nodding, the nervous smile on his face fading a bit as he squinted at Poe. “Yeah,” he said, then leaned forward and took a deep breath through his nose. “Poe, are--are you drunk?” 

“Nah,” Poe said, waving him off and turning around to head back into his quarters. Unfortunately, he tried to do both at once, which turned out to be a little ambitious: he stumbled, and would have fallen onto his ass if Finn hadn’t caught him. “Well, maybe a little,” he amended. “But how else was I supposed to decide?”

“Decide...what?” Finn propped him back onto his feet and stepped into the room, catching sight of the half-packed bag (and half-emptied bottles) on his bed. “Are...are you leaving, Poe?” 

Poe attributed the distress in Finn’s voice to his own wishful thinking. “Just for a little while,” he said with a shrug. “Taking a personal leave. Since the mission idea wasn’t eating enough.” 

Finn turned back to him. “What?” 

“Thin. It was thin.” Poe sighed. “Dammit, I’m drunk.” 

“Yeah, we established that,” Finn said. “What we didn’t establish is _why._ And why you’re leaving. Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah, you kidding?” Poe made a ‘psh’ noise. “Everything’s _great_. You’re happy, right?” 

“I’m...happy,” Finn repeated, and Poe couldn’t tell if he was agreeing or seeking clarification. 

He decided to play it safe and clarified: “With Rey.” 

“Should I have been unhappy with her at some point?” Rather than understanding, Finn looked more bewildered than ever. 

“Well, no, I hope not,” Poe said, shrugging. “But at least with...I mean now you can feed her things. In the commissary.” 

“I...you saw that?” Finn looked embarrassed, and that was not okay, because Finn was happy and he shouldn’t be embarrassed about that. 

“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “It’s okay, buddy.” He grinned at Finn, broadly, and patted Finn’s chest. He really had a well-muscled chest. It was quite nice. “It’s okay,” he said again, still patting. 

“Yeah, I’m not sure that it is,” Finn said, catching Poe’s hand in his own and curling his fingers around it. “Poe...why don’t we go sit down, huh?” 

Poe had a tiny couch--really a loveseat--in his quarters, and that was where Finn guided him. He thought Finn would sit down next to him, but instead, the other man pulled up Poe’s desk chair and sat facing him. For some reason, the fact that Finn would not sit on a loveseat next to Poe made him incredibly sad, and he had to blink as his eyes stung with sudden tears. 

“Okay,” Finn said softly. He was, at least, sitting close enough that their knees were touching; after a second, he reached out and took both of Poe’s hands in his. “I want you to tell me exactly what is going on.” 

Poe swallowed, staring at the hands that engulfed his own. Finn’s hands were amazing: big and gentle and soft and smooth from a lifetime of living under his Stormtrooper armor, but slowly starting to develop calluses as he worked around the Resistance base. He was so sensitive to textures, exploring them with a child-like awe. Poe had seen him pause more than once just to touch something--a leaf or a piece of fabric or the side of Poe’s X-wing. He realized abruptly that he would never get to witness--or share--Finn’s slow, gentle exploration of another person. He had the feeling it would be incredible; that Finn would treasure every moment, and treat his partner like something holy and priceless. 

Suddenly, the maudlin, alcohol-induced tears were replaced with something far more real and poignant, and Poe clutched Finn’s hands tightly, bowing his head. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. 

“Sorry for what?” Finn’s voice was so very, very gentle, and it was that more than anything that broke the dam. 

“I’m sorry I can’t seem to let you go,” he said, face scrunching a little as he tried not to let the combination of booze and heartbreak rob him of his eloquence. “I’ve tried--I promise, I’m...I’ve tried so _hard_ , but...you’re just so _amazing_ , and gorgeous, and kind, and sweet and smart and I...I’ve wanted you for so long I forgot how to want anything else, but you’re in love with Rey, and I don’t want--I don’t want to get in the way of that. Not that I _could_ , obviously, I’m not saying that, but I just…” he broke off. “I just wanted to help you be happy,” he finished at last, eyes tightly shut. “That’s all.” 

“You think I’m in love with Rey.” Finn’s voice sounded...odd. Like Poe had just said both the strangest and the most obvious thing in the world. “Of course. You think I’m in love with _Rey._ ” 

Poe looked up, bewildered by Finn’s tone. “Well...yes. You...you are, aren’t you?” Nothing was making sense, and Poe’s head was beginning to swim with it. 

Finn was shaking his head, that slow, world-ending grin spreading across his features. Poe thought he could fall in love with that grin anew every time he saw it. Involuntarily, his hands tightened around Finn’s. 

“Poe, no,” Finn said, releasing one of Poe’s hands and reaching up to cup Poe’s cheek instead (which was such a marked improvement that Poe couldn’t think to complain). “I’m not in love with Rey. I’m in love with _you._ ” 

The words took a whole thirty seconds to register. When they finally did, the little flicker of hope inside him suddenly blazed into life once more. Poe realized his jaw had dropped open, as his inebriated brain tried to fit Finn’s words together with the things he’d seen over the past week and a half. “But I--but you--” 

“Came to you for dating advice, yes,” Finn said, letting his thumb trace a gentle path along Poe’s cheekbone. “That was Rey’s idea. She figured if anyone could help me figure you out, it would be you.” He cringed. “Admittedly, it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.” 

“Oh Gods.” Poe was still too stunned to react beyond disbelief. “So--that whole conversation--” 

“I wanted to know what types of courtship you might respond to favorably,” Finn said dryly. “But when I pointed out that I’d already been doing them, you seemed to think it meant they _weren’t_ intended romantically.” 

“Oh, my Gods.” Poe shook his head slowly. “So you--you _love_...?” his voice broke. 

“I do,” Finn said, and there it was again: that smile as bright as a thousand galaxies. 

“Oh Gods,” Poe breathed, before doing the only thing he could do, given the circumstances.

He passed out. 

* * *

His head was pounding, when he woke again, an indeterminate amount of time later. 

He groaned, bringing a hand to his forehead. “Ow.” 

“Yeah, I imagine so,” a voice said, and Poe jerked, squinting up at the source of that voice. 

Finn was sitting next to his bed, holding a glass of water and a couple of pain-relief tablets. When Poe looked at him, Finn held both up and arched his eyebrows. 

“My hero,” Poe said, reaching for them. 

Finn chuckled. “Why don’t you sit up first,” he suggested. 

With much grumbling, Poe complied, and once he was (mostly) upright, Finn gave him the tablets and the water. Poe swallowed them quickly, then downed the rest of the glass of water, groaning with relief as it washed away the horrible cottony feeling in his mouth and the nasty taste on his tongue. 

Only after the tablets had started to work against his headache a few seconds later did he bother trying to take stock. After a few seconds of trying, he gave up and decided to just ask: “What happened?” 

Finn arched his eyebrows. “You don’t remember anything?” 

Poe wrinkled his nose. “I...I remember...packing,” he said slowly, frowning as the images began to return. “Drinking. A lot. Um. I remember…” his frown deepened. There’d been...something. Hadn’t there? Something big. “You...you came here,” he said slowly. “Right?” 

“I did,” Finn agreed softly, watching Poe with cautious amusement. “Do you remember what I said?” 

It was important. Poe remembered that. It was _very_ important--life-alteringly important. He strained, trying to reach back through the alcoholic fog. Finally, after an agonizing eternity, he drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. 

"No," he said sheepishly. 

Finn chuckled. "Yeah, I thought you might not," he said. "Listen, I think you could use some breakfast. Why don't I go grab some? For both of us," he added, apparently seeing the flash of panic that crossed Poe's features. "It'll help you think more clearly." 

Poe couldn't argue that. He suspected there was little in the known galaxy that could make him think _less_ clearly. Finn patted his shoulder then left the room, and Poe slumped back onto his mattress, covering his eyes with his arm. 

He didn't fall back asleep as he'd half expected. Instead, he focused his energy on trying to bring the events of the previous evening back into focus. It was...difficult...but images and words were beginning to poke their way through, a bit at a time. He'd been packing for his leave--three weeks, granted to him by the general, because he wanted to get away from Finn and Rey, at least until their honeymoon phase was over. He'd been planning on doing a lot of drinking on a planet with a decent beach, but beyond that, he hadn't thought it through very far. Other than to sample said drinks, because--

 _“How else am I supposed to decide?”_

\--right, that. So drinking, deciding what drinks to bring and which ones to just polish off, he remembered that. And Finn had showed up--why? To ask him something? Had he ever even gotten the chance? Poe had vague memories of babbling at the other man, if he could just remember what he’d said or _why_ \--

 _“I've wanted you for so long I forgot how to want anything else.”_

Poe sat up so fast he was dizzy with it. He closed his eyes, as if that could stem the sudden flood of memories, but now that they'd started, they didn't seem to want to stop. 

Oh no. Oh _no_. He'd told Finn. He'd told him _everything_ , and Finn had--had--

...What? 

Had brought him water and pain tablets, at the very least, and was now going to get breakfast. So it couldn't be _all_ bad. 

Right? 

He didn't get a chance to worry about that one for long, because seconds later the door was opening and Finn was walking in, carrying a tray loaded with breakfast foods. In true Finn style, he appeared to have gotten a little bit of everything, though Poe was relieved to see some of the blander choices making an appearance, too. He suspected he was going to need them. 

"You're up," Finn observed, as he carefully set the tray on Poe's little table. 

"Halfway there," Poe agreed, swinging his legs off the edge of the bed and watching Finn closely. The other man didn't... _seem_ horrified or perturbed by Poe's behavior last night, though Poe wasn't sure if that was a good thing. But Finn seemed perfectly content, moving around Poe's space comfortably and setting out the shared breakfast.

Finally, he turned to Poe and said, "Do you think you can make it over here okay?" 

"Yeah, fine," Poe said, rising to his feet--then pausing as the room swayed disobediently. He glared at his own feet, and heard a warm chuckle from Finn. 

"Here," Finn said, and after a moment, his boots appeared in Poe's line of vision, his arm sliding gently under Poe's elbow as he helped him to the table. "You got a hold of an Endorian Brandy," Finn observed. "The bottle was almost empty. It's going to be a few hours before your equilibrium is back to normal." 

"Damn Ewoks." Poe settled himself down at the table and watched as Finn sat across from him and grabbed a slice of bacon. 

"So," Finn said around his mouthful, "what do you remember?" 

For one brief moment, Poe toyed with the idea of playing the whole thing off as a drunken accident, or a prank. But he dismissed the idea almost immediately. Finn deserved better than that from him. He sighed, and picked up a spoon, poking at a bowl of porridge. 

"I remember drinking," he said. "I remember talking too much. I remember telling you things I should've kept my big mouth shut about. That about the shape of it?" 

"You said you wanted me," Finn said quietly. "That you thought I was beautiful." 

"Right." Poe sighed. "And I'm not going to back up off of that one, buddy, because you _are_ , but it wasn't my place to say that. I know you're with Rey, and I don't want to make things weird or awkward between us. Any of us." 

"So you don't remember everything," Finn said, nodding. "Good." 

"Good?" 

"Well," Finn said, leaning forward on his elbows, "if you'd remembered me telling you I loved you, and this was how you were reacting, I'd be a little hurt." 

The spoon clattered into the porridge and sent spatters of it everywhere, but Poe couldn't have cared less. "You said you--wait, you _love_ me?" 

"Yes," Finn said placidly. "And I'll tell you as many times as you need to make it stick. I love you, Poe." 

"But--but Rey--"

"Is one of my best friends in the galaxy," Finn said, "and like a sister to me, but we are not each other's type, and even if we were, neither of us is interested." He shrugged, like it was really that simple. Like he could really just show up, flip Poe's world upside-down, and carry on eating bacon. 

Poe was staring, his mouth hanging open. Finn swallowed his bite, then remarked, "You got porridge in your hair." 

Without waiting for Poe to react, he reached across the narrow table and brushed his fingers through the offending strand, then wiped his fingers on a napkin. That jarred something in Poe's memory, and he blurted, "But I saw you and Rey in the commissary." 

Finn sighed, and nodded. "Yeah, I know," he said. "I was trying to surprise you." 

"Surprise me?" 

"You said dinner would be a good first date," Finn said. "So I wanted to practice cooking first. I asked around and got a recipe I thought you'd like--those fried dough balls with the fruit filling, from Yavin 4?--but they were harder to make than I anticipated. I had to wait for the shipment of ingredients from Yavin 4, first off, and then the resistance doesn't have the right kind of fryers, so I had to improvise. I wanted Rey to try them and see which method worked best." 

"You...you got a recipe from my homeworld?" Poe whispered. 

"Yeah," Finn shrugged. "I thought you might like something familiar, and I had it on pretty good authority they were your favorite. But when I made them, they all _looked_ pretty bizarre," Finn made a face. "I couldn't get the filling injected properly--I'm still trying to get the hang of it. I didn't want her to judge them based on that, so I had her close her eyes so she could tell me which ones tasted best." He shrugged again, looking pained. "I realize what it probably looked like to you," he said. "But it wasn't like that. I just...wanted to make something I knew you'd like." 

"Because you love me." Oh Gods, Finn was even sweeter than Poe knew and he'd _already_ been head over heels for the man. How in the galaxy was he supposed to survive this?

"Right. Because I love you." 

"Oh, Gods." 

Finn stiffened, eyeing him worriedly. "Are you going to pass out again?" he asked, half-rising from his chair, and Poe had no doubt he'd launch himself across the table to catch him, if Poe said yes.

It was tempting, but he resisted. Instead, he laughed, burying his head in his hands. "No, Finn," he said, voice growing thick. "I'm not going to pass out." How--how had he gotten it all so _wrong_? And more importantly, how on earth was Finn _still_ interested, even after seeing what a fabulous mess Poe could be? 

Finn said, "There is still something I need to ask you. Poe, you said you...that you wanted me, but you were going out of your way to try to set me up with Rey."

Poe peeked out at Finn from between his fingers. "That's not a question, buddy." 

"No, right. I guess what I want to know is...why? Why go to all that trouble?" 

"Well, because--because I thought you were in love with her," Poe said helplessly, lowering his hands and shrugging. "I wanted you to be happy." 

"Even if it made you miserable?" 

Poe shrugged again, and nodded. "Yeah." 

Finn beamed at him, and Poe could almost see the heavens parting and sending a ray of light to surround that glorious smile. Either that, or the Endorian Brandy was making him hallucinate. 

"That," Finn said softly. "That right there is one of the many reasons I love you." 

Poe melted. Not literally, but close enough: he slumped, a huge, dopey grin setting up residence on his face and an embarrassed but pleased blush creeping up his neck. "Yeah?" 

"Yeah." Finn glanced at the collection of empty bottles littering the room, then laughed softly. "Your judgment in alcohol, on the other hand, is _not_." 

"Likewise," Poe said with a grimace, before his heart caught up to the news Finn had just given him, and advised him to share some of its own: "Oh, my Gods, Finn, you--you know I love you too, right?" 

"I do now," Finn said, and the slight slump of relief in his shoulders made Poe feel like a colossal asshole. 

"Good. Because I do," Poe said, reaching across the table and grabbing Finn's hand. "I love you. A lot. I'm...kind of completely crazy about you, actually." 

"Good," Finn said, and Poe suddenly didn't mind so much that his eyes were starting to sting because Finn's were also looking decidedly shiny. "Poe?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I'd really like to kiss you," Finn said. "Would that be okay?" 

It was more than okay, and Poe decided it would be easier to show Finn this than to tell him. Finn was smart, after all. Poe was certain he'd get the message. 

* * *

Three hours later, Poe stood in General Organa's office, trying to look alert and attentive (which he wasn't) instead of half-drunk (which he was) or like he'd just spent the last three hours making out with his new boyfriend (which he had). 

"General," he said. "You wanted to see me?" 

"Yes." The General looked up from her datapad and gave him a quick once-over before she said, "That favor I needed. I'm cashing it in." 

Poe stiffened, suddenly alarmed--was she sending him on a mission _now?_ "General, if it's about that trader report from the Felucian System, I think you were right, it _is_ a bit thin, and it was probably nothing--" 

"Relax, Commander," she said. "I'm not sending you anywhere. You're officially on leave, remember?" 

Poe did remember, and wondered if she would let him cancel it. The last thing he wanted to do now was _leave_ , but it was generally frowned upon to take a vacation on base. Maybe he could hide in Finn's room for three weeks? 

"Your transport is ready in hangar three," she said. "Per your request." 

"Ah. Right. Um, General...about that request..." 

"Shut up, Poe." 

Poe shut up. 

"As I was saying," the General continued, "your transport is ready. But I'm afraid your leave does have an additional condition." 

"Yes, General?"

She smiled at him. No, Poe amended, 'smile' was too nice a word for what her face was doing. She was smirking at him, and looking _extremely_ satisfied with herself. 

Oh man. This was going to be bad. 

"Take Finn with you," she said. 

Oh, this was so, _so_ bad. "You knew," he accused weakly. "This whole time, you _knew._ " 

"Yes. Obviously." 

"Then why didn't you--?" 

"And ruin the surprise?" She chuckled and shook her head. "No, no, no. I couldn't do that to Finn. He's been working so hard to plan your first date." 

"How--how did you--?" 

"Oh, come on, Poe," she said. "Who do you think gave him that buñuelo recipe?"

" _You_?" 

She spread her hands. "You know anyone else on this base who's spent any time on Yavin 4?" 

The General grinned, which was a rare sight indeed, and Poe wanted to treasure it, but he was too busy glaring at her. "You are an evil, evil person." 

"You're welcome. Now go and enjoy your vacation." 

Poe scowled. "This from the woman who 'doesn't go out of her way to encourage fraternization between her soldiers.'" 

"Go, Commander." 

"Fine, fine. Going." He paused, and glanced back at the general from the doorway. "And, um--thanks." 

She smiled at him. "You're welcome." 

* * *

Someone was in the hangar, just as Poe had predicted. Someone was always in the hangar, after all. This time, it was Jess, and she wasn't alone. 

Poe paused on his way to the transport, watching as Jess peered at something Rey was pointing out to her on one of her ship's proton torpedo launchers. "Hey," he called, and they both turned to look at him. Poe pointed an accusing finger at Rey. "Aren't you supposed to be on vacation?" 

"Aren't _you_?" Rey said, beaming as she bounded up to him and threw her arms around his shoulders. "Finn told me the good news," she murmured into his ear. "Congratulations."

Poe hugged her tight for a moment, then drew away, watching as Jess sauntered up to them. "Yeah, congratulations," she agreed. "I hear you're not only finally taking a break, but it looks like you're actually going to get some." 

"Get some what?" Finn had walked up behind Poe, carrying his own duffel bag. "Hi, Rey. Hi, Jess." 

"Hey, Finn." Jess nodded at him, as Rey gave him a greeting hug as well. 

"Seriously," Finn said, once Rey drew away. "Get some what?" 

"Don't mind Jess," Poe said quickly, shooting the pilot a pointed glower. "She's being crude." 

"I think 'get some' means 'have sex,'" Rey advised helpfully. 

Jess snorted into her hand, and Poe cringed, expecting Finn to be mortified, but Finn just said, "Oh! Yes, I should hope so." He smirked at Poe, then gave him a wink and slapped his ass. "You ready to go?" 

"Ready," Poe said weakly, even as Jess stared open-mouthed and Rey struggled not to laugh. "See you two in three weeks." 

He turned and jogged after Finn, who'd already walked onto the transport. Poe found him in the cockpit, settling down into the pilot's seat (Poe had promised to teach him to fly on their way to the outer rim). 

"That was awesome," he said. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone catch Jess off-guard like that." 

"Happy to help." Finn nodded at the control panel. "So. What first, commander?"

"First, you come here and kiss me," Poe said. 

Finn seemed happy enough to comply, though a few moments later, as he broke the kiss to breathe, he panted, "You know, we're never going to get there at this rate." 

"Nah, don't worry about it," Poe assured him, leaning over to punch in their coordinates and climbing into Finn's lap. "This ship practically flies itself."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Buñuelo = a fried dough ball often filled with sweet fruits or other fillings popular in Guatemala and a number of other countries (carrying on the tradition begun by Oscar Isaac of linking Yavin 4 and Guatemala). 
> 
> Thanks as always to my beta/cheerleader/best friend, Thuriweaver.
> 
> Also, yes, I ended on a pun. Fight me. 
> 
>  
> 
> ~~(don't really fight me please I'd get scared and run away I am weak)~~


End file.
